Ponting gives Hughes bouncer advice

Ricky Ponting has given his youngest team-mate Phillip Hughes a masterclass in handling short-pitched bowling after he was twice out to bouncers in the tour match against England Lions. The first Test begins on Wednesday and Ponting expects Hughes to face a bouncer barrage following Steve Harmison's success with the tactic.

"We've been in the nets working on little things I felt I could pass on to help him cope with that sort of stuff," Ponting told the Australian. "They would have seen [Harmison's success] and spoken to Harmison about the way he bowled at him. They'll be coming at him with something similar to try and exploit that.

"We worked on some stuff about making his mind up whether he was going to play or avoid it as early as he can. What it's going to be all about for him and what worked so well in South Africa is to put it back on the bowlers."

During his debut Test series in South Africa, Hughes was repeatedly tested by bumpers from Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel but they discovered that it is a risky tactic and runs can flow quickly if the short stuff does not remove Hughes. Another good sign for Hughes is that Harmison, his chief tormentor over the past week, is not in England's Test squad.

Simon Katich has confidence in the ability of his opening partner Hughes to handle whatever is thrown at him, while he has also won strong support from his predecessor Justin Langer. The former opener Michael Slater also has no doubt Hughes can do the job and said: "If you go hard at him he'll dig in and make you pay, and that's a great quality."